Dan Harkins—pet safety activist

Harkins, the owner of the Harkins movie theater chain, will be doing pet-safety public service announcements that will run in all his theaters, the Republic’s Krystal Klei reports.

The newfound enthusiasm for the subject came after Harkins got cited last week while leaving his dog in his car in 100-degree heat while he watched a movie in a Scottsdale theater.

The Republic story seem a bit overly Harkins-friendly:

According to police records, Harkins checked on his dog multiple times, providing her with water and taking her on walks. Records also say he said he never left the dog in the car for longer than 45 minutes, and parked in a shady space with the windows cracked.

Although Harkins made efforts to ensure his pet’s safety, police cited Harkins because temperatures outside exceeded 100 degrees, police said.

“He never left his dog in the car more than 45 minutes” is not exculpatory.

Earlier stories established that the dog had been in the car for nearly four hours during the hottest time of the day—and that Harkins had been parking in a handicapped spot to boot.